


Blank AU

by witchbreaker



Series: Dreaming of Roads Unwalked Snippets [7]
Category: Dreaming of Sunshine, Naruto
Genre: AU, Soul marks AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-07
Updated: 2018-03-30
Packaged: 2018-09-22 13:37:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9609773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/witchbreaker/pseuds/witchbreaker
Summary: In a Naruto-world where how you feel towards someone is etched onto their skin, Shikako's is markless. Born six years before Shikamaru, Shikako is still born to make waves.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, so Dreaming of Sunshine by Silver Queen has a pretty vibrant fandom and I've been writing AUs for it in the forum for years. I've decided to start posting the AUs to my AO3 account so that I can get them all in one place and update whenever I feel like it without disturbing the flow of the threads.
> 
> This AU is called the Blank AU. You can find the beginning of it in the We're All Just Dreaming of Sunshine forum, Soulmark Fic and Discussion Thread, post #883 aka page 28.

Shikako's soul marks never show up. She's born completely blank and stays that way. She's thinks it is normal. It's only until Yoshino and Shikaku sit her down and explain why her name is on their skins in neat letters that she realizes she's different. That the world she has reincarnated to isn't her previous one. This world has something called 'soul marks.' Names appear on the skin of the person and their colors represent how that the name feels about them. The blue means that Shikako considers them her parents. Green is for sibling relationships, Orange for friendship, Gold for admiration, Brown for opposed to, Red for romantic love, Purple for wistfulness, Silver for uncertain, and Black is for death. This is all very confusing. Mostly because it seems useless to her. Shikako doesn't need words on her skin to know how her family feels about her.

Her parents believe that she's markless because of her being Chakra Sensitive but people whisper otherwise. Words like "sociopath" and "heartless" and "soulless." Yoshino tries not to listen to them. She thinks about how Shikako reaches for her when she's not crying and how her daughter's name is etched in Blue on her arm. Yoshino ignores how it took months to form and a year to turn from Silver to Blue. Shikaku does the same for his.

Shikako doesn't really care. She's much more focused on dealing with things like being reincarnated, having chakra, and apparently being in living in the Naruto universe. There's way too much to deal with to be worried about soul marks. She didn't have them in her previous life and she doesn't need them now. She knows her parents love her. Can see it in their eyes. It doesn't matter if some people think she's a sociopath. Her parents don't and that what's matters.

Or least, it does until someone from the Nara Clan comes and informs Dad that his brother is dead and he is now Heir again and Shikako puts together that her Yoshino and Shikaku are _that_ Yoshino and Shikaku. Shikamaru's Mom and Dad. It would be a little embarrassing that its taken her this long to notice but she's now freaking out about the fact that she's apparently screwed up Naruto canon _just by being born._ She's almost misses the Nara's condition for accepting Shikaku as Heir in her panic. They want Dad to disown Shikako.

"No." The word is hard and final.

"Shikaku, be reasonable."

"The Clan will either take all three of us or not at all."

"She's _Blank._ "

"She's my daughter."

"We are not going to have a-"

"Get out." It's Yoshino who speaks but the look Shikaku is giving his former family screams murder is imminent if he doesn't stop talking. The Nara leaves. Shikako takes a second to actually breath. And also say something dumb because she's physically three and she may have doomed the entire world just by existing.

"You could do it. I wouldn't mind." Because if they do that then, Shikaku and Yoshino can move into the Nara compound and will definitely have Shikamaru and if she just stays out of sight the story will go like it's suppose to. Shikako is terrified of what would happen if Shikamaru isn't around. Who will stop Hidan? Who will keep everyone from dying on the Sound Four mission? Her parents rapidly turn to her, eyes wide.

"No." Shikaku repeats once he's mind has started working again.

"But their your family and-"

Dad kneels down and sweeps her up into his arms. "You are my family. I don't care if I don't talk to them ever again. Not if it means I have you and Yoshino."

Shikako's heart gets stuck in her throat and nobody mentions disownment again.

(At least not around Shikako. The Nara and her parents enter a long, difficult fight over the issue. Neither side will budge. The Nara laziness works both for and against the Kinokawas. The Nara are split over how to easily and quickly solve the issue. Some want to force Shikaku to disown her, some want to just quietly do away with the sickly Blank, and others want to just accept that they will have a Blank as their Head after Shikaku so that the fighting stops. Shikaku and Yoshino bounce them off of each other and Chouza and Inochi back them up.)

Shikako is utterly relieved when Shikamaru is born on the exact day he is suppose to be. Even more relieved when his soul marks show up immediately. She's six now and doesn't want her baby brother to be ostracized like she is. Doesn't want them to look at him and see a freak. It doesn't bother her very much but Shika shouldn't have to deal with that. The baby is healthy and quiet so the Kinokawas take him that day. Mom takes a nap as soon as they are back at their tiny apartment.

The next day, the whole family gets up as soon as Shika starts screaming for food. Shikako sees her name in Green nestled right next to her parents. While Mom is feeding him and Dad getting breakfast ready, Shikako suddenly realizes that though this is not how she thought her afterlife would go, she wouldn't trade this for anything in the world.

The feeling gets stronger after the Kyubi Attack and the Kinokawas make it out alive by the skin of their teeth. After all of Konoha has been turned upside down and Shikako only made it out alive because of a boy that might grow up to slaughter his entire family. Itachi isn't anywhere close to that yet though. It's probably why he helped her get to a shelter as buildings fell down around them. He saw a kindred spirit as they both ran with their little brothers in their arms. After this, Shikako becomes determined to keep her family alive. To keep this fragile thing from being destroyed in the upcoming horror show. She bugs her parents to let her attend the Academy and keeps an eye out on the Uchiha. Who are apparently also keeping an eye on her. She has no idea why but the regular patrols now pass right by her apartment. Some of the friendlier ones try to chat with her every once in a while. She smiles politely and keeps on moving. Their soul marks for her are Silver.

(Shikaku doesn't like to let a good deed go unnoticed. Especially not one that saves the lives of his children. The Uchiha are not a Clan that takes debt lightly. When Shikaku defends them in a council meeting and helps them to keep their traditional ground lands they remember. They say little but if the patrol routes have been organized so that the Kinokawa's residence always has a police man within earshot, if their children are encourage to befriend the Blank, if Yoshino gets assistance on how to manage Chakra Sensitivity from the records that the Uchiha have on the matter, everyone knows why.)

It's a testament to how tense the conversation is that Yoshino and Shikaku don't realize that Shikako is up and able to hear them until far too late.

"But we're his parents." Mom says.

"They are ways to get around that and the Nara have decided to use them." Dad responds.

"What's going on?" Shikako is sleeping on the couch so it is only a matter of turning around to face them. Both of them look at each other and try to get her to go back to sleep. Shikako refuses and eventually they tell her that the Nara, not the Clan, never the Clan to her, have moved to make Shikamaru the Heir and remove him from their family to live in the compound. It's ridiculous. It's wrong but apparently there is...precedence for this kind of thing.

For when the current Head is incapable of raising the next in line, the Nara have the right to take the Heir and raise him under those that can. The idea is that the Clan can take the child if it truly is the only option to allow them to keep their Head Family. The rules are designed so that the Clan can assure themselves an Heir in dire times. It's suppose to be the last resort. It hasn't been done in the Nara Clan in over five generations but it has been done before.

(Shikaku knows that this is Danzo's revenge. Knows that he is the one who have pointed his former clansmen in this direction and is egging them on. This is punishment for siding with the Uchiha and not kowtowing to his bigotry. He can't prove it but he knows. Danzo is going to pay for this.)

There is one thought clear in Shikako's head when she processes this. _They can't have my brother._

The plan comes next. Dad won't accept to be Heir unless the Nara accept her and they won't do that because she's Blank, nothing can be done there, and because they think she's a sick and weak. That, that is something Shikako can do something about. If the Nara drop the condition of her disownment then they'll join the Nara and Shikako won't have to worry about losing Shikamaru because she'll be a Nara too. Her parents will fight this but if Dad's tried eyes are anything to go by, he doesn't think this is a fight they can win.

So, get control of her reactions to Chakra so she doesn't appear to be sick and get stronger. Shikako's is right about the middle in terms of grades at the Academy. Not bad considering she's only been there a few months but she can do better. She's been purposely holding herself back under the impression that it would be best if she kept her head down. That she had time before the Plot officially happened and she'd need to be a her peak. That was clearly wrong. She'll fix that starting today. Her parents say nothing as they see a fire light itself in her eyes and she declares she's going to get ready for school.

People say fear a motivated Nara. Now they are going to fear a motivated Kinokawa.


	2. Chapter 2

Shikako blows passed the Academy tests like they aren't even there. She aces her academic tests and reads every possible book the Academy uses. The physical stuff is harder but Shikako puts every ounce of her spare time into getting stronger. That's a lot of time considering she doesn't have any friends outside of her parents and they are both busy with juggling Jonin/ANBU Commander and a newborn. The amount of times she's defeated in spars goes down dramatically. Even if the Clan kids should technically be able to beat her, Shikako proves that viciousness and cunning can take down a lot of people.

By the end of the month, her teacher has to admit that her sudden geniusness is not a fluke and move her up to a different class. He can't teach her at the level she is at and the rest of the class at the same time. It happens again within two weeks. Shikako feels a small sense of satisfaction that is overwhelmed by the feeling that it is not enough.

(Her parents are concerned by this. They'd love to tell her to stop, to slow down, that she doesn't need to push herself so hard but...she's buying them time. Ninja appreciate power. They have followed a lot of morally questionable people because of their ability to level the battlefield in an instant. Shikako is making a strong case for herself for, if not Heir, than a member of the Nara. The Nara may not like Shikako but they have slowed their plans to take Shikamaru. They are reconsidering whether it would be worth it to secure an unproven newborn at the cost of the girl fighting Itachi Uchiha for the title of best prodigy of this generation. The Kinokawas use this to their advantage and hope that their daughter doesn't suffer too badly in the long run. They aren't optimistic.)

This is Shikako's fourth class change since she's began her plan and now she's finally sharing a break with Nara kids. They are several years older than her and just starting up a game of ball. That should make this easier. They need more players to make a decent game. Shikako hasn't actually had to make friends in years but it shouldn't be that hard right?

"Can I play too?" Her voice is small but she manages to speak without fumbling over her words so that's a win. They keep on talking with each other and waving over others to them. She inches forward and speaks louder. "Can I play too?"

One of the Nara turn to her. "We don't want you. Go away."

Shikako is taken aback. She swallows and goes on. She needs to get them to accept her. "But your numbers are odd. I'm a good player."

The eldest Nara, the leader, glares at her. "We're not playing with a freak so scram."

That hurts. That hurts a _lot._ It pins her to the ground and glues her tongue to the roof of her mouth. She knew people thought she was a freak but it is a lot different to have someone say that to your face. Shikako tries to convince herself that she doesn't feel her eyes start to water.

Another, non-Nara, kid says, "Yeah, soulless freaks aren't wanted."

The other kids start jeering in and Shikako. Leaves. Walks back inside the building, ducks through the halls, and locks herself in a storage room. She slides to the floor and wraps her arms around her knees. She takes a deep breath and no, she shouldn't do that. She can hear how ragged she is and that means other people can hear her. She needs to stop. Stop crying, stop being upset. It was just words. But she can't. All she can do is sob as quietly as possible. At one point she thinks she hears a knock on the door but it must have been her imagination.

What isn't her imagination is the door opening. "Shikako-chan?" Shikako jerks up as Izumi Uchiha comes over to her. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine." Shikako lies and tries desperately to wipe away her tears. She feels even worse that someone is here seeing just how much of a mess she is in.

"You don't look fine. Was someone mean to you?"

"No, no. Everything's alright." Shikako tries to stand up but stumbles since her legs have cramped from sitting in one spot too long. Izumi catches her, not looking particularly convinced.

"You sure?"

" _Yes._ " Everything is fine. She just had a bad start with the Nara kids. That's all. Nothing she can't deal with.

"Okay. Do you want to hang out at my house after school?"

Shikako's first instinct is to say no. She should go home and train more but then she realizes that Mom will be home at that time. Yoshino will take one look at her daughter and know something is wrong and Shikako can't let her parents find out about this screw up. If she waits out a few hours than Mom will be asleep because she naps when Shikamaru does and Shikamaru always falls asleep just after dinner. Then Shikako can sneak home, get her usual studying done, and go to bed before Dad shows up. It's a perfect plan.

"I'd love to. Thanks." Izumi smiles a little. A question flickers through Shikako's head. "How did you know that I was here?"

"Itachi-kun told me. He said that you were sad and that I should talk with you."

That surprises her. Shikako hasn't actually seen Itachi since the Kyuubi Attack. They nodded to each other at the introduction ceremony but that was about it. Maybe he considered their mutual near death experience to be more of a bonding moment than she had thought.

(Itachi's parents had told him to try and befriend Shikako earlier but it's difficult because he never sees her. Tailing her as she ran through the halls and locked herself in the storage room is as close as he has gotten to her since October Tenth. He probably should have talked to her himself but she was crying. Itachi has no idea how to handle a girl crying. His first instinct is to get his mother but it's the middle of the school day so he tracks down Izumi and picks the lock so she can do it.)

Walking through the Uchiha Compound gates is Shikako's first experience seeing what an actual Clan looks like. It's imposing. Tradition and lineage ooze from every corner of the newly created buildings like they have been standing there for generations and not a few weeks. The smell of steel and fire flicker through the place in a way that feels alien in comparison to the dusty, apartment building Shikako lives in.

Izumi leads her through the buildings to her house. Shikako notes all the people around and how the ones that catch her eye smile at her. She tries to smile back. Izumi chats with her as they walk, pointing out the buildings where her immediate family live before bringing her into her house and introducing Shikako to her mother. The lady is nice and if she thinks Shikako is a freak, she keeps it to herself.

They don't stay in the house for longs as they go outside for a friendly spar. It's nice to have someone to practice with. Izumi is very determined to become a kunoichi. Not as desperate as Shikako is but she doesn't mind fighting until her mother calls them both in for dinner. That's a little awkward as the Uchiha are much bigger on table etiquette than the Kinokawa's but they seem to find Shikako's attempts to mimic Izumi more amusing than anything else.

She sticks around a little once the dishes are put away. Izumi and her talk about books. Their preferred genres don't overlap much but they both have plenty of recommendations for each other. It's nice.

Shikako leaves promising that she'll come over again some time. As one of the adults Uchiha walks her home, Shikako thinks about Izumi's fate and whether it's a good idea to get close to her. Remembering how terrible she felt earlier today, realizing how much better she feels, Shikako decides that it is.

(That night, Izumi gets ready for bed and notices that her soul mark for Shikako has turned from Silver to Orange. She'll be incredibly happy about that.)


	3. Chapter 3

It takes Shikako a single year to graduate from the Academy. It's...not a nice year. She's exhausted from pushing herself and her attempts to befriend the Nara kids get rebuffed at every turn. Her parents are extremely busy. They are not ignoring her but their time together is limited and Shikako refuses to burden them with her school problems. It means that she spends a lot of time avoiding being home where her parents can see just how tired she is.

Shikako spends a lot of time at the Uchiha Compound. Partly because her only friends live there, partly because they are more than willing to help her train, and partly to get away from suspicious eyes. Everyone knows she is Blank. People watch her like she might slit one of their throats for fun. Her friendship with the Uchiha isn't helping with that either. People still blame them for the Kyubi Attack. It's unfair but life is unfair. In the privacy of her own thoughts, Shikako wonders how Naruto put up with this. How he had the courage to keep believing he could change how people thought about him. She's been dealing with it for only a few years and she's already close to giving up. Her own bare arms feel like a weight against her. A punishment for remembering her past life. It doesn't help as Itachi's mark turns Orange and the other Uchiha's turn Gold and Shikako craves a little bit more the comfort of a soul mark.

The only person that Shikako really knows who is graduating alongside her is Itachi so it isn't all that surprising that they are placed on a team together. Minazuki-sensei is nice but Tenma Izumo is _not_ happy to be on a team with people half his age. Tenma's soul mark for Shikako is Silver but he doesn't have one for Itachi. Itachi's indifference only fuels Tenma's anger and Shikako's attempts to play peacemaker fall on deaf ears. Shikako's comforts herself with the knowledge that at least Team 2's mission luck isn't as bad as Team 7's.

(Danzo considers the possibility that he may have miscalculated. He did not make a mistake. He knew that Shikaku would ally himself with the Uchiha, knew that the girl would succeed in becoming a kuniochi considering her previous standing in the Academy. He knew all of this when he convinced the Nara that removing Shikamaru from the Kinokawa household was the only reasonable course of action left. But as Shikako Kinokawa soars passed every obstacle in her way with the Uchiha's help, Danzo considers whether or not he missed out an opportunity to secure another prodigy for ROOT. Considers whether he should change tactics and take the girl for the program. It would strengthen his group and remove her from the Uchiha's grasp.

Then Shikaku undermines him once again and Danzo decides that the girl is lost to him already and hesitating on the matter is useless. The Kinokawas will fall just like the traitorous Uchiha.)

There is a quiet celebration when Shikako and Itachi complete their first C-Rank mission. It's less of an actual celebration and more of an excuse for the Kinokawas to have dinner with Itachi's and Izumi's families. Shikako is here at least three times a week but Yoshino and Shikaku less so. Most of their evenings are taken up with trying to take care of a one year old and dealing with the Nara's, Danzo's really, plots. Shikako doesn't know that Danzo is the one egging the Nara on but she knows that her family is helping the Uchiha so she assumes that they are on Danzo's shit-list just to be safe.

The whole evening is nice. Yoshino and Mikoto swap tales of their experience raising their second child as Izumi's parents watch Itachi's and Shikako's shoji match with interest and Fugaku complains to Shikaku of the back log of evidence that is slowly overwhelming the already short staffed police. What catches Shikako's attention is Fugaku mentioning the possibility of evidence degrading while in lock up.

"Why don't you just stick it in a storage scroll?" She asks, turning away from the game. Fugaku looks at her but it is Dad that answers.

"Storage scrolls have limits," He says easily. "There's only so much that one can fit before they start to break down."

Shikako blinks. She may be a novice in seal work but that's ridiculous. Her seals can fit any thing she wants. She turns back to the game with an idea. She'll solve the backlog problem by standardizing her usual storage seal. It will be easy and useful in the long run. Shikako still hasn't figured out how to make her own seals but she should get use to have one set of variations of the normals seals. If only to figure out how to expand on those variations later. A win, win for everyone really.

(Shikaku is positive that his daughter has no idea the gold mine she just handed them. The Kinokawa Storage Seal is completely changing how everyone handles supplies. It's probably the most practical seal invention since Tsuande's puberty control. It solves so many logistical problems that it may cause another one simply by the demand for it. Not only that, by handing it to the Uchiha, Shikako has made the pariah clan the center of attention in a good way. While they get a section of the profits, the Kinokawas refuse to have anything to the production of the seal. Anyone who wants it has to get the Uchiha to agree to make it for them. Shikaku watches as clans suck up to the Uchiha in order to get a spot on the production list. While it won't last, it is a very drastic change from how the Noble Clan was treated before. With any luck, they will be able to capitalize on this and help to heal the divisions between the Uchiha and the rest of the village. He can see the colors start to shift on soul marks even now.

He also watches as Danzo fumes with the air of someone incredibly pissed off but refusing to show it. He hates what the seal is doing for the Uchiha but he can't do anything about it. It went through all the proper channels and testing and there's no way to remove it from their grasp. Not to mention that it solves a manpower shortage that the Council Man has been complaining about him so he has no ground to stand on if he tried to stop it from being produced. Shikaku would love to see him try though. He is sure a small riot would break out if Danzo did. But Danzo is a smart man and does nothing. Shikaku says nothing to him but he does stare at his former clansmen.

 _This could have been yours._ He tells them with his gaze. _This all could have been yours if you had just accepted my daughter._

Many of them realize that and a good section of support for Shikamaru's removal disintegrates. Just a little more work and Danzo's plan to separate his family will be destroyed. Shikaku celebrates the day by having a drink with Inochi, Chouza, and Fugaku.)

(Shikako doesn't know this, but in another life she wonders on whether or not the Uchiha staffed their former hold outs in preparation of the possibility that they would have to flee Konoha. In that life they did. In that life, they were caught and it was used as another sign that they were untrustworthy and plotting against the village. In that life, it was another nail in the coffin for them.

In this life they staff them but are not caught. Months worth of supplies are moved between two shinobi in the course of a single mission well before they show the seal to the rest of Konoha assures this. Danzo may suspect all he wants but he has no proof. The Uchiha feel better now that their escape route is secure and that ease transfers over into their dealings with the villagers. The Uchiha do not say thank you. They have never been ones to show gratitude with words but that hardly matters when they let Shikako access any of their records that their own Genin can see. Such as their records of seals. When the Senju Clan was still strong and their alliance good, the Uchiha would copy seals from all over the world for the Senju to use. The clan doesn't have the seal masters necessary to use it but they still have their versions of the copies. Still has the few books on seal creation that were written by the one seal master ever to bless their clan. Shikako stares at the collection she now has access to in awe. Really, at that point a thank you is superficial.)

_Fuck._

That's the only thing that Shikako can think when Madara Uchiha appears and attacks the Fire Daimyo's convoy that Team 2 is charged with protecting. Really, she wants to say something stronger but panic and fighting happen and there isn't time to think about the shit storm that has landed on them. Not with the Fire Daimyo in danger and Tenma getting run through and Madara deciding to disappear as randomly as he came like a freak hurricane.

In a state of shock, Shikako survey's the damage. The Daimyo is alive, Itachi and Minazuki-sensei are alive, the convoy is still operational but Tenma....Tenma is dead. It's tears at Shikako. She didn't like him. Thought he was a bully and way too stubborn but he was still just a kid. A kid who didn't deserve to die. She stares at the body a long time before someone pulls her out of her thoughts. It's Minazuki-sensei. He's telling her to get back to the Daimyo's side so they can move out. Right. The mission. Shikako does what she is told as Minazuki-sensei takes care of the body.

The finish the mission and, for once, Shikako goes straight home. She finds Mom playing with two year old Shikamaru in the living room. She tells her Mom that Tenma is dead and gets a hug. It shouldn't make her feel better but it does. It also helps her pull herself together in order to actually think about why Madara would do such a thing. She had always assumed that he didn't show up until around the Massacre but what if that wasn't the case? What if he had been working on Itachi and the rest of the clan long before that? Danzo's work was certainly enough to nudge any clan into considering a coup but what if Madara had helped with that too? What if that attack had been to size up Itachi?

Shikako is pretty sure of that last bit. She's doesn't know how to keep Madara away from the Uchiha but she can keep an eye on Itachi. Hopefully convince him that Madara is full of crap and that slaughtering his family isn't a good idea. To do that, she needs to stick by his side. That _shouldn't_ be a problem. Except that Itachi was ANBU at thirteen and Shikako can't join that. Not only does it put her way too close to ROOT and Danzo, she's not sure what exactly the introduction process requires. If it's a mind walk or anything like that, Shikako is _screwed_ whether the Yamanaka is ROOT or not. So, she has to convince Itachi that joining ANBU is a bad plan. Difficult but not impossible.

It becomes better when Team 2 gets back into action. As bad as it is to say, the lack of Tenma, of a third member, actually makes missions easier. Shikako and Itachi are quiet close (his soul mark for Shikako is Orange with a streak of green and the feeling is mutual) and Minazuki-sensei's hands-off approach works well for them. He can't teach them much but the oversight is nice and Shikako and Itachi still have trouble getting people to listen to them so the full size adult around is nice too.

Itachi and Shikako get a good set up going. Itachi sets up enemies with his genjustu and ninjutsu while Shikako takes them down with her taijutsu and sealing traps. She doesn't have much else in her arsenal. Shikako doesn't have the chakra reserves for high powered ninjutsu and genjutsu doesn't really work for her. But Taijutsu doesn't really need all that much chakra and sealing pays in time and knowledge. It's difficult work but it gets Shikako where she needs to be.

It also gets the partial Team 2 nominated for the Chunin Exams. They blast through every challenge Kumo throws at them. In the end, it's just them in the finals. Wailing on each other as the crowd cheers. Itachi wins but it's a good fight. Both of them get promoted and Shikako gets another visible symbol of how strong she is and how useful she could be to the Nara. It's an important mark that causes big changes in her life.


	4. Chapter 4

The Chunin Exam is the tipping point to a lot of things. It reaffirms Shikako's brilliance and the heights she will reach. Not that anyone isn't aware of it but the receptiveness is important. The Chunin Exam convince the Uchiha to make a official marriage proposal to Shikaku. They do it in a public way that sends a clear message to the Nara: If you don't want Shikako we will take her.

To be honest, Shikaku wishes he could consider it. The Uchiha adore Shikako and she'll be more at home there then with the Nara. The proposal is also generous. A marriage to the clan heir, plenty of compensation for the loss of an active ninja, assurances that the Kinokawas will permanently be considered friends of the Uchiha, and other gifts. Shikaku had seen this deal coming for a long time and it's pretty much as good as Fugaku can make it. There's also support from the Nara. Many see it as a good way to remove Shikako from the clan succession line with every side happy.

Shikaku tells Fugaku he'll consider it and promptly doesn't. Shikako will never agree to it. Shikaku didn't walk away from his own clan just to force his daughter to marry into another. In the end, the marriage proposal isn't important. No, it's bait for a bigger fish. Danzo will not let the Uchiha get their hands on Konoha's next sealing master. He'll stop this but there are only so many ways he can do that. Each and every single one of them is guaranteed to infuriate Konoha's clans if they find out about them. All Shikaku has to do is wait and watch.)

"How could you!?" Shikako is completely baffled by Izumi's question. She is even more confused by the girl's tears. She has just gotten back from a mission and can't think of anything she's done that would upset her friend this much. Shikako doesn't get a chance to ask what's wrong, because Izumi doesn't give her a chance. "I thought we were friends!"

"We are." Shikako's says fervently. "You're my best friend."

"Then why are you marrying Itachi-kun?!"

"...what?"

"Your engagement. You could have at least told me to my face. I shouldn't have had to hear about it from my cousins!" Izumi doesn't raise a hand to wipe away the fresh batch of tears.

"Itachi and I aren't engaged." Shikako really has no idea where that rumor would have come from. Sure, there were whispers they were dating but Izumi knew that wasn't true. There was no reason for her to believe that they were going to get married. Shikako would never had agreed to that, not when she knew how much her friend loved Itachi. Or that the feelings were returned. Well, as much as an emotionally distant nine year old could return feelings.

"But everyone is saying your are."

"We aren't." Shikako repeats. "You'd know I'd never do that to you."

"Really?" Good, Izumi is listening to her.

"Definitely." Shikako says firmly. "I'd know if I was engaged and, besides, Dad wouldn't say yes to that."

"Oh, yes, you're right." Izumi wipes her eyes. "Sorry about yelling at you."

"It's okay." And that would have been that except Shikako gets a nasty shock when she comes home and tells her parents about the misunderstanding. Yoshino quickly shot a look at Shikaku that says 'you're dealing with this' and 'I told you this was a bad plan.'

"Actually," Dad says slowly. "You are engaged to Itachi, technically."

"What?" Shikako feels like a parrot.

"The Uchiha did put forward an offer and while we haven't accepted it, neither have we turned them down so for practical purposes, you two are engaged."

"Why did you do that?" Shikako has a lot more questions going through her head but that one comes out first. As Shikaku hesitates, Yoshino speaks up.

"It's a trap for one of our enemies. They'll try to stop the marriage and when they do we'll have them and we won't have to worry about Shikamaru getting taken."

"Who is it?" Both her parents pause. They have tried very hard to keep her out of the political fighting. To avoid saying just who is pushing the Nara to act the way they do and Shikako isn't having any of it today. "I just got into a fight with _Izumi_ because of it. _Who are you trying to catch?_ "

They tell her. Shikako doesn't repeat the name but it sits burning on the tip of her tongue. Danzo Shimura. If Shikako ever met the man, his soul mark for her would be pure Brown. The one responsible for so much more than just removing one child from their parents. If the Kinokawas can neutralize him before Canon officially starts. Before the Massacre is suppose to happen. Before Tsuande falls into a coma....so many things could go so much better. But that meanings lying to Izumi. The act has to be convincing if Danzo is going to fall for it and that means that Izumi can't know until the trap is sprung. Izumi is a good fighter but her acting skills leave something to be desired.

Shikako sits there as her stomach twists into knots and her mind turns. This might destroy her friendship with Izumi. Was it worth the risk? To lose one of the few real friends she had? Shikako had given up making friends with the Naras or anyone else. They looked at her arms and saw the Blank before they ever considered her as a person. Some of them could be polite, even kind to her, but it didn't change the fact that they didn't trust her as far as they could throw her. Chouza and Inochi were different but they were adults who were more friends of Dad's than friends of the Kinokawas. Shikamaru loved her but he was three. The other Uchiha adored her but Shikako found it difficult to truly be friends with them. She kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. For them to look at her and see the Blank instead of Shikako.

Shikako weighs all of this and almost refuses to go along with the plan. She really wants to but she sees Danzo in the Hokage's hat and what he'll do to her family if he gets that power. She pushes herself away from the kitchen table.

"This had better work." Is the only thing she gets out before leaving to pick up another mission. If it doesn't, if all this is for nothing...Shikako doesn't think she'll ever forgive her Dad.

"It will." He says as the door closes.

(Shikaku watches as his little girl who is no longer a little girl leave their home and hopes his words aren't in vain. Then he shares a look with his wife and resolves to make sure that they aren't. He works and needles, drops hints and out right lies until Danzo finally moves and Shikaku is there to yank the puppet master from his perch straight onto the stage for all to see.

The uproar is spectacular. Shikaku doesn't think he's seen the clans this united since the last war. It's not that surprising considering what Danzo tried to do. It's not every day that a Council Man tries to assassinate one Heir and force his fiancee into marrying another. It's so far out of bounds that even long time allies of Shimura are requesting he step down from his position. Shikaku is not surprised by the move. He didn't really leave Danzo with any other options and the man has always favored the extreme.

Danzo isn't completely dead in the water, Shikaku isn't a big enough fool to think that but he has lost his right to have any, official, say in village matters, control of ROOT, many of his friends, and the support of the Nara. He is as neutered as he can be without being dead. Shikaku will get to that eventually. One thing at a time. First he needs to tell Fugaku that he's breaking the engagement and secondly, he needs to accept the Nara's no-strings-attached offer to return to the clan.)

"Shikako-chan?" Izumi asks quietly. Shikako knew she had been standing in the doorway for a while but she pretended to be busy packing. The Kinokawa-turned-Nara had told Izumi everything the last time they spoke and all she had gotten was a 'go away.' The soul mark on Izumi's arm is now Purple.

"What is it Izumi?" Shikako is being too short. She knows this but this month has been absolutely crap and she just doesn't have the energy to be nice at the moment.

"I forgive you. I'm mean it hurt but it was important and I forgive you for not telling me what was going on." Shikako stills. "Can you forgive me? For not trusting you? For...."

 _For believing everything people had said about me?_ Shikako thinks. Because that still hurt. To know that her best friend had thought she was a monster no matter how much she had encouraged it recently. Shikako stares down at her half-packed box. Can she forgive that? The answer comes quickly and she turns around.

"I forgive you." Shikako watches relief spread across Izumi's face. She can also see the soul mark that had been hidden for the last month bare for the world to see. A bit of happiness flutters through her as Shikako realizes that Izumi made the decision to display their relationship again before coming here. Shikako watches the mark changes from Purple to Orange. Izumi does too. When the change is complete, the Uchiha snatches a series of pens off of Shikako's desk.

"Give me your arm." Shikako holds it out obediently, curious. Izumi pushes up Shikako's sleeves and scribbles her name on her forearm with an orange pen. The letters are bright and bold and don't entirely match the color of a soul mark but that doesn't matter. Not when Izumi adds to streaks of green before pulling back. "I'm never going to doubt you again."

"Thank you." Shikako says thickly.

(A curious outcome of _not_ moving the Uchiha to the outskirts of Konoha is that they are near a lot of clan dwellings. Most of the clans that joined immediately after Konoha's founding are close to each other. The ones that joined latter formed an out ring around the firsts with a few civilians mixed in. This means that the Uchiha patrols pass by many of the Clans Compounds less out of choice and more out of pragmatism. No one wants to take any longer getting home after work is over than they have too.

A second note of curiosity is that the Hyuuga, by virtue of being one of the four Noble Clans, are close to the center of Konoha. Neighbors to the Uchiha in fact. It was a symbol of honor back in the beginning when it was still a miracle that the Uchiha and Senju were camping within breathing distance of each other.

It's quiet easy for Shikako to hint that maybe the Uchiha should take the Hyuuga short cut home as the city welcomes Hidden Cloud's ambassadors. It's easier for her to get Itachi to take that route back after some extra training. It's unremarkable to tag along so she can spend as much time with her friend as she can before they have to go on missions again. Since their promotion to Chunin, Team 2 rarely works with each other and since they are workaholics, this means they rarely see each other. Even to those that know them, it is unsuspicious.

It also makes it easy for the Uchiha to intercept the intruder carrying a breathing bundle as he slips out of the Hyuuga Compound. The Uchiha who are most certainly _not_ a furious and scared Hiashi. The Uchiha who have managed to be productive police force on no small part due to the fact that the Sharingan makes it incredibly easy to put someone in a coma. The man is caught, the child returned, and Konoha is no worse off that it was before the Cloud ninja arrived.

To say the Hyuuga are grateful is an understatement. Gold streaks through the marks that the Uchiha have for the Hyuuga. There's a shift in general attitude towards the Military Police. Tales about damsels saved by villains are enticing and this is no exception. It reinforces the worth of the Military Police, of the _Uchiha_ , and most importantly, that both are dedicated to protecting Konoha.

Shikaku will sit back and wonder if his daughter knows exactly what she has done by following her gut. What he will never know is that she does. Even more than he knows.)


	5. Chapter 5

Shikamaru knows exactly why he's friends with Naruto. 

He can vividly recall the precise moment that he decided he is going to be friends with Naruto come hell or exploding tags. It was when Shikako had taken him to the park just after his first day of school. People had gone quiet when she showed up. Shikako had let go of Shikamaru's hand and sat down under a tree; pretending she is reading a book and ignoring everyone. Shikamaru was barely knee high but he already knew that this hurts his sister. It hurts him too because everyone is being so _stupid_ and Kako is the best person in the world and Shikamaru can't do a thing about how stupid people are. He's tried. So, stupid people continue to be stupid and Shikamaru has to play with Choji and Ino while Shikako sits off to the side because something is going down back home and his sister will tell him he needs to play with people his own age if he bothers her.

He doesn't care about "the consequences of socializing with blanks." It's _dumb_. People are dumb and he doesn't care except Shikako gets all sad when he "insists on making things awkward." So. Dumb. The day is dumb. It only gets better when Naruto, literally the dumbest kid in his class, Shikamaru has seen his grades, walks right up to Shikako and introduces himself in the loudest, most obnoxious way Shikamaru has ever witnessed. Then badgers her with questions so fast that it would be impossible to answer them.

"What's your name? Are you a ninja? Have you been on any cool missions? How old are you? Do you like ramen?" It goes on and on until the hurricane that is Naruto Uzumaki runs out of air. Shikamaru had thought he would need to step in but one point three minutes later, Naruto has successfully convinced Shikako to play tag with him and she's _smiling_. Okay, not completely smiling but its closer than anything Shikamaru has seen since that whole disaster where he almost had the Uchiha for in-laws. She's happy enough that she doesn't even try to dissuade him dragging Choji and Ino into the game. 

It is right there that Shikamaru swore, silently, eternal friendship to the last Uzumaki. 

_I don't regret it._ He tells himself as he runs. _No regrets. No regrets_.

An exploding tag goes off when it definitely isn't supposed to. It's okay, Shikamaru has planned for that. He's been Naruto's friend long enough to know that his Plan A is going to fall apart within two minutes and Plans B and C will somehow explode because that is the nature of life with Naruto but Plan D is still holding up so far so they are good. He turns a corner and finds himself face to face with one of the almost-graduated academy students they have been running from. He is covered in paint and has a nasty black eye. The boy snarls, lunges, and misses Shikamaru by inches. Unbeknownst to him, a rope had been looped around his foot. 

"Come on Shika!" Naruto yells from further down the alley. Shikamaru leaps over the student and sprints after his friend. They weave through the back alleys of Konoha, Naruto in the lead. The energetic blonde knows these parts of the city much better than Shikamaru. They stop by a dumpster, burrowing underneath a stack of cardboard so that they are out of sight. They don't talk. Shikamaru strains his ears to pick up any sounds of pursuit. Nothing. 

"That. Was. AWESOME!" Naruto exclaims when he too realizes they are in the clear. 

"Troublesome." Shikamaru slumps down. He refuses to admit that dumping instant-drying paint on stupid, stupid seniors is fun. Even if it is. It will only encourage Naruto to drag him into something bigger. 

"Hey, want to see if we can paint the Hokage's Mountain?" 

Or maybe that is a lost cause. 

"So troublesome." 

"Or Shimura's house?"

"...I'm listening..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I finally get around to adding the last bit I've got for this series.


End file.
